Alarm-clock



Jan. 12, 1960 F. MEYER 2,921,148

ALARM-CLOCK Filed Jan. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

I INVENTOR. Friedrich Meger $2.1M! MM United States Patent ice ALARM-CLOCK Friedrich .Me'y'er, Grenchen, Switzerland, assignor to Ebauches S.A., Neuchatel, Switzerland Application January as, 1958, Serial No. 711,614 Claims priority, applicationswitzerland December'14, 1957 8 Claims. Cl. 200-35 invention relates to an alarm-clock of the type :comprising' an electrically actuated alarm-apparatus,

particularly a radio receiver, an electric power source, a timepiece and switch means electrically connected between the said power source and the said alarm-apparatus and controlled by the said timepiece, and adjusting means in the said switch means for selecting a predetermined moment in which the said switch means are closed by the said timepiece, therebyconnecting the said alarmapparatus to the said power source for actuating the said alarm-apparatus.

Particularly when a radio receiver is used as an alarmapparatus it is required to obtain a sharp and distinct closure of the switch means in order to avoid sparking and rapid wear of the switch means and undesired noise "in the radio receiver due to slow and indefinite switch operation. However, since the switch means have to I be actuated by a control member mounted on the hour Wheel of the timepiece, such control member being consequently displaced at an extremely low speed, rapid and concise switch operation cannot easily be obtained. Further, the disposable force or turning moment of the hour wheel of the timepiece for actuating the switch means is very limited, particularly when the timepiece is actuated by a balance wheel of which the oscillation is sustained electrically.

It is an object of this invention to provide switching means for an alarm-clock of the above type, meeting with the requirements set out above and adapted for proper operation at a minimum consumption of actuating force and actuating energy. The alarm-clock of this invention broadly comprises a contact member in the said switch means having a closed position and an open position, means continuously tending to bring the said contact member into its said closed position, actuating means operatively connected to the said timepiece and operatively associated with the said contact member, adapted to bring the said contact member into its open position under control of the said timepiece, and releasing means operatively associated with the said contact member and operatively connected to the said timepiece, adapted to release the said contact member from its said open position into its said closed position in the said predetermined moment. tively associated with the contact member and operatively connected to the timepiece may be disposed in such a way that prior to any switch operation they are acting Preferably the said actuating means operaonto the contact member for an appreciable period of time, for instance for one hour, thereby slowly displacing the said contact member towards its open position and accumulating mechanical energy in the contact member,

- by which accumulated energy the switch is subsequently actuated rapidly and concisely.

In the attached drawings one embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a view of the switch mechanism of the alarmclock seen from below in Fig. 2 but with the mounting Patented Jan. 12, 1960 plate and the minute wheel and the minute wheel pinion removed,

Fig. 2 is an axial section of the switch mechanism of the alarm-clock, v

Fig. 3 shows the alarm-setting mechanism of the alarmclock on a smaller scale, and 4 Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the electric circuits of the alarm-clock.

The drawing does not show the timepiece completely, and any usual timepiece may be used for the purpose of this invention. However, it is preferred to use an electric-ally driven timepiece for instance of the type disclosed in the US. Patent No. 2,817,207. The timepiece has a center wheel 2 mounted on "a minute shaft 1 adapted to carry at its upper end (Fig. 1) a minute hand not illustrated. The center wheel 2 is driven for instance from the electrically sustained oscillating bal ance wheel as shown in the above-mentioned U.S. patent. An hour wheel 5 is mounted on a cannon 6 to which the hour hand is attached in a well known manner not shown in the drawing. The hour wheel 5 is driven from the center wheel 2 in a well known manner through a minute wheel 3 and a minute wheel pinion 4. By means of rings 7 of insulating material, for instance nylon, the hour wheel is pivoted in a cannon 8 of the unlocking wheel 9 of the alarm-clock, the unlocking wheel being electrically insulated from the dial support 10 by means of an insulating disc 11. Therefore, the unlocking wheel 9 and the cannon 8 connected thereto are electrically insulated from the other parts of the timepiece and are adapted to form the one pole of the switch mechanism described below.

A contact lever 12 is pivoted on a pin 13 mounted in the unlocking wheel 9. A leaf spring 15 anchored in a bore 14 of the unlocking wheel '9, engages with its free end the contact lever 12, thereby tending to displace the arm of the contact lever engaging the spring towards the center of the hour wheel 5 and of its cannon 6 respectively. A stop pin 16 is mounted in the other arm of the contact lever 12, this stop pin engaging an opening 17 of the unlocking wheel 9 for limiting the angular displacements of the contact lever 12. The contact lever 12 has a curved contact surface 18 adapted for cooperation with a contact pin 19 mounted in the hour wheel 5. An actuating wedge 20 of insulating material having a control surface 21 is fixed on the contact lever 12, the said control surface 21 being slightly inclined relatively to the tangential direction or the path of the contact pin 19 near the actuating wedge. The relative position of the actuating wedge 20 and of the contact pin 19 of the hour wheel is so disposed that the contact pin 19 slowly rotating with the hour wheel 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 will engage the slightly inclined control surface 21 as shown in Fig. 1 and will slowly displace the contact lever 12 radially outwards towards its open position against the action of the leaf spring 15. A slide contact spring 23 having two contact lugs 24 engaging a ring slot 25 of the unlocking wheel 9 is mounted on but electrically insulated from the dial support 10.

The switch mechanism formed by the contact pin 19 and the contact lever 12 is connected into the electric circuits of the alarm-clock as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4. These electric circuits comprise a radio receiver 26, preferably a transistor receiver which can be fed from one single battery 27. The one terminal of the radio receiver 26 is connected to a selector switch 28 by means of which the radio receiver may continuously be connected to its battery 27 in a lower position (Fig. 4) or may continuously be disconnected from its battery 27 in a mid position (Fig. 4) or the radio receiver may be connected to its battery through the above switch mechanism controlled bythe timepiece when the selector switch is in its ripper position as illustrated in Fig. 4. The alarm-clock has a second battery 29 from which current pulses may be applied through a contact 31 to a driving solenoid 30 for ..the balance wheel of the timepiece, for instance in'the .an alarm hand mounted on the cannon 8, but not illustrated in the drawings. The wheel 33 which is pivoted in a slot 34 land is usually maintained in engagement with the unlocking wheel 9 as shown in 3 by a leaf spring .35, only allows adjustment of the unlocking wheel 9 in anticlockwise direction in Fig. 3 because the wheel 33 is disengaged from the unlocking wheel 9 whenever adjustmerit of the latter in an opposite direction is attempted.-

' The alarm-clock operates as follows: i

The hour wheel 5 and the contact pin 19 are driven by one rotation in 12 hours by the continuously running timepiece. The unlocking wheel 9 and the partsmounted thereon are adjusted to a predetermined desired position in the manner described and disclosed in detail for instance in my copcnding patent application Serial .No. 711,623 (of the same date), this adjustedv position, or

more particularly the moment in which the alarm. appa-,

, tion of the contact pin 19 engages the upperend (Fig. -1)

of the control surface 21 of the actuating wedge 20 and starts to displace the contact lever 12 radiallyv outwards against the action of leaf spring 15. .Due to its-rounded portion the contact pin 19 slides along the control surface 21 without appreciablefriction so that it is able to displace the actuating part 20 and the contact lever 12 connected therewith by wedge action without, requiringan appreciable force. Therefore, no appreciable turning moment will be required on the hour wheel for actuating the contact lever in the manner just described. The contact lever 12 is displaced outwardly until the rear sharp edge of the control pin 19 reaches the fore sharp edge of the control surface 21 and therefore suddenly releases the actuating wedge 20. At this moment the actuating wedge 20 and the contact lever 12 are rapidly displaced radially inwards by the leaf spring 15, until the electrically conducting contact surface 18 of the contact lever 12 abuts against-the contact pin 19, whereby a firm electrical connection is immediately established between parts Hand 7 12. An electric circuit is thus closed from the battery 27 through the receiver 26, the selector switch 28, the contact spring 23, the unlocking wheel 9, the contact lever '12, the

contact pin 19, the hour wheel 5- andthrough the gear train meshing with the hour wheel to the mass of-thetime- 7 piece which is connected to the other terminal ofrthebattery 27. It may be required to provide another slide contact spring similar to contact spring 23 between the mass of the timepiece and the hour wheel 5 in order'to safely close the above electric circuit. Through this circuit the radio receiver is energized and a person or'persons are awakened or reminded of a predetermined time bythe r 4 switch 28 to its lower position for which the receiver is continuously connected to its power source. Of course, means may be provided in the receiver 26 for selecting different programmes.

When the switch mechanism has been closed in the manner described above, the contact pin 19 keeps on sliding along the contact surface.18.whereby the contact lever 12 is again slightly displaced radially outwards so that the c'pressu're of spring 15 against the-contact lever 12 slightly increases. However, since the. lever arm of the contact pressure acting onto the contact lever 12, also increases due to the advance of contact pin '19, the contact pressure is maintained substantially constantthroughout the contacting period between the contactlever 12 and the contact pin 19. .When the contact pin 19,.leaves the contact surface 18, the contact lever is 'again'displaced radially inwards, this displacement being limited by the pin 16.

-As shown in the drawing the plane. rear. surface-of the contact pin 19 is inclined relatively to a strictlyradial direction so that the contact lever 12, may freely-move .radially inwards whenever the rear. edge oflthe contact pin 19 leaves the control surface 21 or the contactsur- .and switch means controlled. by the said timepiece, .and -.'adjusting means in the said switch meansfor. selecting a predetermined moment in which the said switch. means are closed bythe' said timepiece, a contact levenin the z said switch means, having an.-open-and a closed position,

- adirective force continuouslyacting ontothe said contact leverand tending to shift it into its said closed position,

"an actuating pin operatively associated with thes'aid con- '-'tact lever and driven by the said timepiece, insulating 7 actuating means being interposed between: the/saidactuating pin and the said contact lever for displacing thesaid contact lever from its said closed position towards. its

- mounted on the said hour wheel.

3. A time switch according ,:to-claim .1, comprising an actuating part of insulating materiaLont-he-said contact lever, a control surface on the said actuating part, a path along which thesaid pin is displaced rnearthe-said actuating part, the said control surface-being slightlyinclined relatively to the path of the said'pinzand-the said pin engaging the said control surface during its, movenrent near the'actuating part, an end on-the: said actuating part where the said pin'leaves it and atsharp. edge on thesaid actuating part limiting the sa'idcontrolrstirface at its said end.

4. A timeswitch according to claim 3,-1- comprising a direction in which the said pin is displaced, :thesaid pin having a rounded portion at its frontside. as seen in the said' displacing direction of the pin and .having a sharp edge limiting the said rounded 'portionflthe said pin engaging and supporting the control surface 'ofthesaid actuating part with its said rounded portion but allowing sudden engagement of metallic portions "of; thesaid'contact I leverand thesaidpin when'the roundedportion ofithe pin leaves the said control surfaceofc the actuating-part of the contact lever.

in any case'be operative for a period of time'sufiicient for "'nectedto the live terminal of. an electric power source.

6 A time switch of the type corriprising a timepiece,

an hour wheelin the' saidtimefpiece, switch means Qoper- :-iable' by the said timepiece, an-adjustableunlocking wheel mounted coaxially with the said hour wheel, the said switch means being mounted on the said unlocking wheel, a contact member in the said switch means having a closed position and an open position, means continuously tending to bring the said contact member into its said closed position, actuating means operatively connected to the said hour wheel and operatively associated with the said contact member, adapted to bring the said contact member into its said open position under control of the said hour wheel, a releasing relative position between the said hour wheel and the said unlocking wheel and releasing means operatively associated with the said contact member and operatively connected to the said hour wheel, adapted to release the said contact member from its said open position into its said closed position when the hour wheel and the said unlocking wheel are in their said releasing position.

7. A time switch of the type comprising a time piece, an hour wheel in the said timepiece, switch means, un locking means operatively associated with the said switch means and adapted for adjusting the position of the switch means relatively to the said hour wheel, a contact member in the said switch means having a closed position and an open position, means continuously tending to bring the said contact member into its said closed position, actuating means operable by the said hour wheel and operatively associated with the said contact member, adapted tobn'ng the said contact member into its said open position under control of the said hour wheel, releasing means operable by the said hour wheel and a releasing posi- 6 tion between the said releasing means and the said contact member, the said contact member being released from its said open position into its said closed position when in its said releasing position.

8. A time switch of the type comprising a timepiece and switch means controllable by the said timepiece, an hour wheel in the said timepiece and unlocking means adjustable for preselecting the instant at which the switch means is to be closed, an open position and a closed position for the said switch means, a directive force continuously acting onto the said switch means and tending to shift it into its said closed position, a charging period for the said switch means, means operable by relative displacement between the said hour wheel and the said unlocking means respectively for slowly displacing the switch means from its closed position towards its open position during the said charging period, and releasing means operable at a predermined relative position of the said hour wheel and unlocking means respectively for suddenly releasing the said switch means to its closed position at the end of the said charging period.

References Cited in the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,706,410 Peacock Mar. 26, 1929 2,208,831 Bassett July 23, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 902,125 France Nov. 27, 1944 950,812 France Mar. 28, 1949 

